This gift was established to honour the memory of Mary and Bill Dow

Mary and Bill Dow were avid supporters and participants in arts communities throughout their 61 year marriage. Mary because of her passion  for acting and belief in the power of the arts to change how we think and Bill because of his passion for Mary. During the late 1960s and 1970s, Mary as a founding member and Bill as the treasurer of Everyman Players, a Chancel Drama group, toured congregations throughout Western Ontario and Northern Michigan. While Mary went on to become a professional actor, it was this experience she often referred to as inspiring her commitment to community activism through accessible and provocative community-based theatre.

Whether it was through attending the Statford Festival each summer or exchanging evening newspaper sections with Dad, or running lines with Mom, Mary and Bill’s children were encouraged to engage with new ideas, to understand the relationships among voice, audience and the human experience, and to make a difference.